Which AV Receiver and why?

[TheGreatWarMage]

I am looking into buying an av receiver and my limit is $300 pretty much.

My choices are:

Sony STR-DH740
Sony STRDH750
Denon AVR-S700W referb
Marantz NR1604 offered at a local pawn shop (used)

And than maybe a few other new systems falling just around that marker, and best buys audio fest thing has a pioneer around that marked down from $499.

My needs are 5.1 sound and 1080p minimum, which is everything new practically. And decent to fantastic sound.

I would like 7.1-2 to upgrade later on, and 4k would be nice for future proof. Up-convert seems to be negligible, unless they make 4k tv sets that don't up-convert. Though, I hear these systems usually die out around 2 years,..though some seem to last 10+? Any reasons why this happens?



Given the above systems, which has better sound though?

 

[americanaudiophile]

Marantz is the best sounding but has limited connectivity. The Denon would be next.
You are correct about the 4K upconverting in a receiver. Almost all UHD sets upconvert but how well is a matter of price. Makes more sense to let the TV do this.
AV receivers vary in build quality. Marantz comes with a 3 year warranty so they at least have to make it to there. One of the reasons that all electronics have lower lifespans is that parts are not available for as long as they used to be so the makers wanting to save money don't build for long term. They also assume that you will replace it as the tech moves ahead.